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Jeffersonia, also known as twinleaf or rheumatism root, is a small genus of herbaceous perennial plants in the family Berberidaceae. They are uncommon spring wildflowers and grow in limestone soils of rich deciduous forests. Jeffersonia was named for United States President Thomas Jefferson by his contemporary Benjamin Smith Barton. This genus was formerly grouped in genus Podophyllum. Twinleaf is protected by state laws as a threatened or endangered plant in Georgia, Iowa, New York, and New Jersey.
Jeffersonia diphylla is native to Eastern North America where it is found from Minnesota east to New York and south to Tennessee. In Minnesota it grows in the lower southeastern section of the state in mesic deciduous forests and most commonly in ravines or on talus slopes. In Minnesota it has a preference for growing on calcareous soils of north and east-facing slopes and is listed as a threatened species. In Minnesota it is found in association with other uncommon woodland plants such as Hydrastis canadensis (golden seal) and Dicentra canadensis (squirrel-corn).
Jeffersonia has had a variety of medical uses. One is hinted at by an archaic common name of Jeffersonia diphylla, Rheumatism root. The roots of both species contain berberine, a known anti-tumor alkaloid. The plant is therefore considered poisonous.
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Jeffersonia by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts are shared under the same licence.
